Volunteers lend a helping hand at Cradles to Crayons, West Conshohocken

By
, The Times Herald

Saturday, November 9, 2013

WEST CONSHOHOCKEN — Penn State Alumni of Montgomery County, Global Deloitte employees and other volunteers gathered at Cradles to Crayons Saturday to sort toys and clothing for children.

The toys and clothing were sorted into “Kid Packs,” which contain enough clothing for a week, as well as toys, books and school supplies. During the winter months, the Kid Packs will also include coats, scarfs, hats and gloves.

“We endeavor to customize it to give them what they want,” said Michael Smith, the executive director of Cradles to Crayons.

Orders for the Kid Packs are placed by social workers on a website. The social workers include information on the child’s age, gender and details on items the children might like.

“Our goal is to get this clothing to a child within three days of an order,” Smith said.

Because each Kid Pack is custom-built and the holiday season is approaching, Cradles to Crayons is still seeking donations of books, clothing, school supplies and other age-appropriate items for children under the age of 12.

“That’s why it’s so heartbreaking when we don’t have enough things to put in them,” Smith said.

Most children that receive Kid Packs don’t have access to DVDs, CDs or to batteries for small electronic games so Cradles to Crayons has a special need for small toys such as action figures, puzzles, board games, blocks and stacking cups.